A typical fiber-optic cable generally includes concentric layers of protective or supporting material with an optical fiber located at the center of the cable. These fiber-optic cables typically have connectors located on each end to connect them to another fiber-optic cable or to a peripheral device. These connectors are high precision devices which position the fiber-optic cable in line with another fiber-optic cable or to a port on a peripheral device.
In order to properly connect with a port or another cable, the end of the optical fiber within the connector must typically abut the end of the optical fiber in an adjacent cable or port. The finish of the end face of the fibers will typically determine the amount of back reflection at the connection site, thus greatly affecting the ability of the fiber-optic cable to transmit information. The apex offset, protrusion/recession, insertion loss, return loss, and angularity are also integral parameters of a connector's geometry. As such, the end faces of a connector's fiber(s) are usually polished to exacting standards so as to produce a finish with minimal back reflection. For example, it is often necessary to polish the end face of the connector fiber to a precise length, i.e., so the end face of the fiber projects a predetermined amount from a reference point such as a shoulder on the fiber optic connector within a predetermined tolerance. Fiber-optic cables having multiple optical fibers can also be polished to produce a particular finish and geometry.
Another approach for achieving the necessary finish of the end face of the connector and optical fiber therein is to cleave the optical fibers using a mechanical cleaving process or a laser cleaving process. In some cases the cleaving process is an initial step to achieve a rough finish, after which the fiber ends are polished. In some cases, especially with laser cleaving, the cleaving process produces a finish that is adequate without polishing.
In addition to finish and geometry, the angle of the fiber optic end face with respect to the axis of the fiber contributes a significant role in the performance of the fiber cable. Some fiber optic cables are specifically made with an angle to reduce back reflection and have keyed connectors installed so they properly mate with specific fiber cables of the same angle in an opposite direction. The reader should note that fiber cables are made in significant volume both with an angled physical contact (APC) of the end face and with a non-angled ultra-physical contact (UPC) end face.
Laser cleaving devices typically require a user to change the fixture when running a new product type in order to accommodate different types of connectors as well as different end face angles for connectors. The process of swapping an entire fixture is time consuming, requires the user to open up the part of the cleaving device that is accessible to the high power laser, which is a potential safety problem, and can affect quality and consistency based on repeated machine adjustment and re-alignment between changes.